Thawing apparatus.



PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

E. A. BURBANK. THAWING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED rma. 1e. 1905.

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E. A. BURBANK.

THAWING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 1e. 1905.

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PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD A. BURBANK, OF BERLIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

THAWING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 16, 1905. Serial No. 245,814.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, EDWARD A. BURBANK,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Berlin, in the county of Coos and State of. New Hampshire, have invented a new andl useful Improvement in Thawin Apparatus, of which the following is a ful clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompan 'ng drawings, forming a part of this speci cation, in explaining its nature.

The invention relates to means for thawing ce in water and other ipes; and it consists in the Jollowin descri ed arrangement and combination o devices for heating a fluid,

for forcin the fluid thus heated,- and for coni ducting t e heated fluid to the place of use in a water-pipe, the purpose of the invention being to so combine, arrange, and construct the various parts of the apparatus that a simplicity and effectiveness of operation are secured and an economy in manufacture ob tained. A

I will now describe the invention in conjunction with the drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my improved thawing apparatus. Fig. 2 is a view, enlarged, in vertical section through the heater. Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section through the drum.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a force-plimp mounted upon a base or support a. T 's pump may be of any desired construction. It is mounted atene end of the base, to which it is lpermanently secured, and its operating-hand e al' extends backward to a convenient oint for operation and is connected with t e plunger of the pump. The pump preferably draws its supply from a receptacle B, which is connected with -the pump by means of the inlet-pi e a2, which ispreferabl flexible and of ru ber, and the water is orced from the pump through the outlet or discharge ipe a3, referably of metal and extending orizonta y to the vertical end -c of a water-heater C.

An air-chamber D is connected with the pipe a? at d and so as to provide an air-pressure upon the water column forced through the pipe.

T e heater C comprises a burner c and a coil c2 of pipe forming a part of the pi e system of the apparatus. This coil pre erably is in two parts or divisions--viz., the outer portion c3 and the inner portion c4. The outer 1s of conical form, reducing in diameter to its top. The inner portion is contained in the outer and preferably is slightly conical, but in a reverse direction to the outer, being lrather larger at the top than at the bottom.

The water-supply enters through the pipe c the lower ring of the outer coil. The outer coil connects at its top with the inner coil, and the water-outlet c" is from the lower ring of the inner coil.

The coils are contained in a chamber c, formed by a cover or cap c7, rising from the circular flange c8 of a plate c", mounted upon osts c1, extending upward from the base a.

his cap or cover is removable from the flange c, and it preferably is made non-heat conducting or o non-heat-conducting material. I have represented it as having an inner shell c and outer shell ci? somewhat larger than the inner shell and'inclosing it, formingwa chamber c between them, which is filled with asbestos filling c14 or other nonlheat-conducting material. This chamber and filling extend around the heatin -coil and over 1t, and the cap or cover, wit the coil, provides a heating-chamber in three parts-viz. the portion c, which is within the inner coil c4, the part c1, which is between the inner coil and the outer coil, and the section c, which surrounds the outer coil and is between it and the inner surface of the cap or cover.

The cap or cover has one or more vents c18 throughits top. Two are shown. The walls c c12 of the ca or c ovcr come together and are united at tie base c1", where the lcap extends upon the flange c. v

Any suitable type of burner may be used and any desirable orm of liquid fuel. I have represented the em loyment of a gasolenegas burner as one being especially well adapted for use under the conditions governing the employment of a thawing ap aratus, and it is represented as incorporate in the device by means of the heating-coil E, with which a storage-tank c, containing gasolene, is connected by a supply-pipe e. From the lower end of the coil E there extends downward the pipe e2, which is coupled by the coupling e3 with a horizontal pipe e, in which is the orifice e5, through which the gas escapes into the gas-burning chamber e6. This chamber is formed by the metal shell e7, having the bottbm es and open at its top, and attached to the under surface of the plate c", which plate has an opening e9 of very nearly the size of the burning-chamber e and by which the if. f

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f of the pipe-drum. The supply-pipe e exppnger-piston, the outer end of which has a burning-chamber communicates with the' main heating-chamber of the water-heating coil. This burning-chamber e6 contains the main portion of the pipe e, the couplin e3, the gas-heating coil E, and the vertica extension e2, and the gas-heating coil is held in the upper part of the chamber over the gasoutlet e5, and so that the flame from the burning gas first acts upon the gas-forming coil of the burner and then upon the water-coil. The pipe e4 extends through the shell e7, so that its end elo is accessible and whereby the pipe may be readily removed from the coupling e3 by bein unserewed therefrom whenever it may be esired to clean the same.

The gasolene-reservoir e is cylindrical in shape and forms the enlarged bearing4 of the drum F, upon w 'ch the flexible pipe f, preferably block-tin, is adapted to be coiled. The drum has the suitable flanges f f2 and is mounted with the enlarged reservoir bearing upon the base a by means of the two standardsfaf, in the upper end of one of which it isjournaled. The gasolene-rescrvoir is adapted to be filled through the inlet e,closed by a cap. This inlet is arranged in the end e12 of the gasolene-reservoir and outside the flange' tends from the same end of the reservoir'to the burner. The reservoir is also provided ervoir is stationary and that the drum turns upon it to permit the uncoiling and coiling of the flexible pipe.

It is usual to employ water as the fluid for melting the ice in the water or other pipe; but any other fluid capable of conducting heat may be employed. The course of thewater is through the pump A,.the pi e a3 connecting it with the heating-coil, t e sections of the heating-coil, the pipe c2", and the flexible coil extending about and from the drum into the water-pipe.

'lhe pump rovides the main pressure. The air-chamber takes a portion of this pressure and makes it constant, so that the hot water leaves the discharge end of the flexible pipe in a continuous stream.

he reservoir e preferably is supported at its inner end by the standard f4 by means of the inward extension or bearing f 5 which enters a receiving-chamber f in the inner end of the reservoir shell or case.

The drum F is mounted upon the base a at the end opposite that upon which the pump A is mounted, and the burner and waterheater are together mounted upon the base erl at about the center of its length and between the pump and the drum.

The pipe c2 is provided with a outlet-cock c, by means of which the burner and pipe with a small air-pump cl3, largely contained within the reservoir and operated from wi thout the reservoir by the piston-rod e of a ob 15. Any suitable air-pump may be used, and by its means the gasolene-reservoir ey is provided with air under pressure to any desired extent. The reservoir also has preferably at or near the inlet e an air-vent e1, which is closed by a screw-plug e. (See Fig. 3.)

The iImer end of the flexible pipe F upon thedrum is connected with the piped", which extends from the lower end of the inner section of the heating-coil, by means of the pipe c2". This pipe c20 extends horizontally and then vertically to a position opposite the center of the journal of the drum and then extends horizontally and through the `journal to connect with the pipe-section c, carried by the drum, and connecting with the inner end of the coiled flexible pipe on the drum. This connecting-pipe c2* is radial from the surface of the drum to the center of the journal and is then horizontal to the horizontal section of the pipe C20, and the two sections are joined by a coupling which permits the turning ofthe horizontal section ofthe part carried by the drum in or on the stationary section of the pipe c2, which extends into the journal. This permits the drum to be turned without interfering with the continuous passage of water from the heater through the connecting-pipe.

may be drained, and the gasolene-feed pipe e has a controlling-valve els.

The means for operating the apparatus are so located that the pumping ofthe water and the control of the burner and of the gasolenefeed may be effected from the same side of the device. The operation of the a paratus has been described in connection with the description of its construction.

he water-heatin r apparatus is such that the water is gradually heated as it enters the coil and leaves the heater -at its highest or greatest heating-point., and the form of thegas-burner and of the coil described provides for the very quick and high heating of the passing water and is one of the principal features of my invention.

It will be understood that the Huid-fuel receptacle is removable from the cavity of the drum, and this is preferably accomplished by releasing the stand which supports its outer end from the base, when the receptacle and stand may be moved together from the drum.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In an ice-thawing apparatus of the character specified, the combination of a fluidforcing means, a hollow drum, a hollow bearing therefor, a stand for supporting said bearing, a flexible pipe adapted to be wound on said drum, one end of which has a swiveling connection with a supply-pipe extending through said hollow bearing, a pipe system It will be understood that the gasoleneres extending from said fluid-forcing means and IOO IIO

connecting with said supply-pipe, a waterheater in said pipe system, a burner, a {luidfuel receptacle contained in the cavity of said drum and forming in part a bearing therefor, said receptacle being removable from said drum and connecting with said burner, and a standard for supporting the outer end of said receptacle.

2. In an ice-thawing apparatus of the character specified, the combination of a fluidforeing pump, a hollow rotatable drum, a hollow bearing therefor, means of support for said bearing, a flexible pipe adapted to be Wound onsaid drum, a pipe system extending from said pump and making connection with said pipe 'on the drum by a connection extending through the hollow bearing thereof, a water-heater in said pipe system, a burner for said water-heater, a `fluid-fuel receptacle contained in the cavity of the drum and connecting with said burner, which receptacle forms one of the bearings for the drum, and a stand for supporting one end of said receptacle.

3. In an ice-thawing apparatus of the char- 4 acter specified, the combination of a fluidforcing pump, a hollow rotatable drum open at one end, a hollow bearing at the other end of said drum, means of support therefor, a flexible pipe adapted to be wound on said drum, a pipe system extending from said pump and making connection with said pipe on the drum by a connection extending through the hollow bearing thereof, a waterheater in said pipe system, a burner for said water-heater, a fluid-fuel receptacle contained in the cavity of the drum and connecting with said burner, a removable stand for supporting the outer end of said receptacle, and a support for the same inside the drum.

4. In an ice-thawing apparatus of the character specified,the combination of a fluidforcing pump, a hollow rotatable drum open at one end, a hollow bearing for the other end thereof, means of support therefor, a flexible pipe adapted to be wound on said drum, a pipe system extending from said pump and making connection with said pi e on the drum by a connection extendin r t irough the hollow bearing thereof, a waterieater in said pipe system, a burner for said water-heater,

' a Huid-fuel rece tacle contained in the cavity of the drum an connecting with said burner, one end of said receptacle being exposed and it providing in part a bearing for said drum, means for supporting said receptacle, and an air-forcing' ump mounted upon the exposed end thereof? 5. In an ice-thawing apparatus of the character specified, the combination of a {luidforcing pump, a hollow rotatable drum open at one end, a hollow bearing at the other end thereof, a support for said bearing, a flexible pipe adapted to be wound on said drum, a

pipe System extending from said pump and EDIVARD A. BURBANK.

In presence of- WILLIAM I. MARDEN. CLARENCE F. BAeoN. 

